Football grounds are arenas where magical stories are told. And like in every story, football has its fair share of villains. Certain footballers, while crucial for their teams, are seen as the bane by fans of every other team. Be it play acting, dirty tactics, or over imposing physical play, certain traits make some players the perfect figures of hate.
The fact that these players pull in major fortunes do not help their image, and at times, they don’t help themselves when they perform acts that can only be termed as ludicrous.
Here, we look at the top five players everyone (well, almost) loves to hate.
#5 Mauro Icardi
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Mauro Icardi is Inter’s first choice striker and a scorer of many valuable goals for Milan’s blue side. He is quick, strong, and tactically aware, and Inter did everything to keep him in Italy last summer. However, the much sought after player has behaved obnoxiously many a time, and his despicable acts have catered as fuel to the fire that is the ire of football fans worldwide.
First, the Inter man fell in love with his former teammate, Maxi Lopez’s ex-wife Nara. This alone was seen as disgraceful, but Icardi did not stop at that. Instead of attempting to keep a low profile after the whole affair, Icardi – whose relationship had started long before Lopez had split with Nara – chose to shoot his mouth off on social media, confessing his love for Nara on Twitter on multiple occasions.
He even posted pictures of Lopez’s children and this obviously did not go well with Lopez, or anybody else.
Icardi thus invited hatred wherever he went, and the Inter forward remains one of the most hated footballers on the planet today.
#4 Sergio Busquets
Sergio Busquets is the heartbeat of Barcelona’s famed midfield and probably the most tactically intelligent player in the world. Having amazing vision, strength, defensive awareness, and a brilliant range of passing, Busquets is exceedingly important to the Catalan’s unique style of play.
His performances, on many an occasion, have been nothing short of masterful. However, his theatrics on the pitch make him a player who is not as appreciated as he should be.
Busquets was always known for making the most of a foul, or taking advantage of situations with simulation, but the hate really started pouring in after his play acting got former Inter man Thiago Motta sent off in the Champions League clash at the Camp Nou in 2010.
After the game – which the Jose Mourinho led Inter heroically won – Motta said, “I have seen it on TV and he is holding his face and then looking at the ref. It is terrible behaviour. He always does it.”
#3 Luis Suarez
A man who scores goals galore, creates chances for his teammates and works hard defensively should be loved by football fans around the world. Luis Suarez is anything but that. Suarez’s list of indiscretions began in Uruguay’s World Cup clash against Ghana in 2010. Some dubbed it ‘Hand of God 2.0’, as Suarez deliberately handballed on the goal line during the final minutes of the game.
Just as memories were starting to fade, and Suarez was beginning to be looked at in a different light, he bit PSV’s Otman Bakkal, thrusting himself back into the ‘most hated’ list yet again. The acts of cannibalism didn’t stop there, as he sunk his teeth into Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic, as well as Italy’s Georgio Chiellini, as Luis Suarez cemented his place as pantomime villain as opposed to all that is good and great about football.
He may be the world’s best centre-forward, but Luis Suarez will never be the most loved footballer in the world. Quite the contrary, in fact.
#2 Pepe
Portuguese defender Pepe is a vital cog in the machine that is Real Madrid, and a well-oiled one at that. He has pace, power, stamina, and an immense will to win, and his defending has led Madrid to a number of titles, and Portugal to victory in Euro 2016.
He, however, is hated by football fans around the world, and his name is synonymous with fighting. He also tumbles to the ground at the slightest touch and tries to con officials at every opportunity.
Pepe has also feigned injury, and viciously attacked opponents previously, and was once handed a 10 game ban for a series of kicks aimed at Javier Casquero of Getafe in 2009.
#1 Diego Costa
Chelsea’s Diego Costa may have terrific movement, the physical strength of an ox, the pace of a gazelle, and the finishing of the coolest marksman in town, but he always plays on the edge. He is a regular user of the ‘Dark Arts’ of football, and constantly nags, sledges, and annoys defenders and opposing fans alike with his antics.
He also constantly complains to referees, and he is also known to go to ground easily at times. The striker could have been sent off in Chelsea’s opening two Premier League games, but somehow stayed on the pitch and ended up scoring in both games.
He has also previously stamped on Liverpool’s Emre Can and had tussles with Martin Skrtel, not to mention being the bane of Arsene Wenger, getting two of his players sent off in previous games.
Diego Costa is booed in almost all the away grounds in the UK, and based on his theatrics on the field, it is no surprise.
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